Adalah challenges exclusion as discriminatory
Adalah - The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in IsraelLegal organization representing Sami Abu Shehadeh before the Supreme Court
Adalah argues that excluding Abu Shehadeh would rest on insufficient evidence and unequal treatment of Arab and Jewish candidates.
“the disqualification process is tainted by unlawful discrimination and selective enforcement.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
The effort to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh from Israel's 2026 election
Israel's Central Elections Committee voted on September 23, 2026 to disqualify Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh from the October 27 Knesset election. The dispute centers on whether his writing about the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack meets the legal threshold for supporting armed struggle against Israel. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported disqualification. Abu Shehadeh and his lawyers at Adalah challenged the evidence and described the effort as an attack on Arab political representation. At an October 1 hearing, the Supreme Court indicated that a majority favored disqualification and recommended withdrawal, according to court reporting. Balad subsequently announced that its leadership had agreed to withdraw his candidacy while retaining him as party leader. We have not located a final judgment approving the disqualification or an order accepting a formal withdrawal.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Adalah describes its argument on behalf of Abu Shehadeh before the Supreme Court.
Before the quotation
Adalah cites his broader opposition to violence and says the committee assessed the article in isolation.
After the quotation
It compares the treatment of far-right Jewish parties and argues that electoral safeguards should not vary by national identity.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Relative to excluding Abu Shehadeh, Adalah expressly criticizes the process and its evidentiary basis. Its legal argument rejects the proposed action.
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More from this case
Read the full caseBalad objects to exclusion while announcing withdrawal
Balad
“استخدام الشطب أداةً لتضييق مساحة العمل السياسي العربي وملاحقة المواقف الوطنية الخارجة عن الإجماع الإسرائيلي.”Read statement
Odeh condemns pressure on Abu Shehadeh to withdraw
“פסילתו של חברי סמי אבו שחאדה היא הצעד הסופי בהפיכה המשטרית”Read statement
Cassif condemns the move to exclude Abu Shehadeh
“אני מאוד מאוכזב, וכעוס על ההחלטה לגבי חברי סאמי אבו שחאדה.”Read statement
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Adalah challenges exclusion as discriminatory
- First published
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- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/4373-adalah-argues-that-excluding-abu-shehadeh-would-rest
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Adalah challenges exclusion as discriminatory". First published: 2026-10-01. Last updated: 2026-10-01. https://disputeindex.com/events/4373-adalah-argues-that-excluding-abu-shehadeh-would-rest